Buteo, Specie Gallo-Pavonis: The Turkey Buzzard.

This Bird weighs four
pounds and a half. The Head and part of the Neck
red, bald and fleshy, like that of a Turky, beset
thinly with black hairs; the Bill two inches and a
half long, half cover'd with flesh; the end white,
and hooked, like that of a Hawk, but without
angles on the sides of the upper mandible. The
Nostrils are remarkably large and open, situate
at an unusual distance from the eyes: the
Feathers of the whole body have a mixture of
brown purple and green; the Legs short, of a
flesh colour: their Toes are long-shaped, like
those of Dunghil-fowls; their Claws black, and
not so hooked as those of Hawks.

Their Food
is Carrion; in search after which
they are always soaring in the air. They
continue a long time on the wing, and with
an easy swimming motion mount and fall,
without any visible motion of their wings.
A dead carcass will attract together great
numbers of themem; and 'tis pleasant to observe
their contentions in feeding. An Eagle
sometimes presides at the Banquet, and makes
them keep their distance while he satiates
himself.

These Birds
have a wonderful sagacity in
smelling: no sooner there is a beast dead,
but they are seen approaching from all
quarters of the air, wheeling about, and
gradually descending and drawing nigh their
prey, till at length they fall upon it. They
are generally thought not to prey on any
thing living, tho' I have known them kill
Lambs; and Snakes are their usual food.
Their custom is, to roost, many of 'em
together, on tall dead Pine or Cypress-trees,
and in the morning continue several hours on
their roost, with their wings spread open:
that the air, as I believe, may have the
greater influence to purify their filthy
carcasses. They are little apprehensive of
danger, and will suffer a near approach,
especially when they are eating.